Hay ground question?

I have mowed a lawn at an office for over 10 years, they have hay field behind the place, that over the years a couple different guys mowed and baled. The office was sold awhile ago and a new guy mowed and baled it this past summer, I guess the office owners talked to the guy asked who he was if he had insurance ect, they said he was rude and would not answer any questions. The owner contacts me, and wants me to mow the field with my lawn mowers, I said no way I can mow that with lawn mowers, so I told them I can bale it too. I told them to call the police, get an attorney ect, they don't want to, and I told them who the guy is that baled it. So, if I bale it i hope I don't have problems with the other guy, and should I charge them something to bale? They said they would pay me to mow it, I look at it as it's there land to choose who they want to mow it, and for this guy to be rude to them and tell them he has the rights to mow it seems odd. I could use more hay ground, it's only 3-4 miles from the farm, but I also don't want to get into the middle of a bad situation.

I don't see the problem, the owners want you to mow the field and they don't have any agreement written or otherwise with the other guy so if he shows up whining you tell him to take a hike and that should be it.

We have had some guys around here that would mow land they had no right to. After a few years of the owner not complaining (absentee, doesn't care, etc.) they get to feeling they have a right to it. they become "squatters". Some have had the gall to tell new owners it was theirs to bale. They can get pretty hot trying to protect what is not theirs. I have taken over a few of those, and a friendly talk to the guy has usually resolved it. in one case the guy came in and mowed thinking he was going to bale it. I called him and thanked him for mowing it, but I would go ahead and bale it, asked him what his fair share should be. He said half. I said OK and small square baled it. He had no use for small bales and never picked up his part, so I cleaned the field and he never said anything else about it.

All I would do is talk to him and explain the owners wanted you to bale it and he may fade away.

Maybe John T can comment on getting paid. Their liability may be less if they don't pay you for a service, and if they do pay you they may expect you to bale it when it grows a little and is unsightly.

Best deal s to figure what it would be worth to you to mow it and see if they would spring for mowing. I'd mow forty acres like a lawn for my price.

This is what I saw over the last 10 years, some
guys who I don't know and equipment I dident
recognize, did the hay for years, than last summer I'll call them
Bill and Jim did the hay with all kind of expensive
equipment, and made big square bales. I heard this
past spring that Bill lost his backer and lost his
equipment, which I don't see on his farm anymore,
and was told some other guy was storing it there,
hiding it. So Jim goes and bales this property and
was rude ect, as I said he only baled it this year, but
told the owners he has done it for years, I will say
that Jim is a slippery person, he bales a friend off
mines place, so I hear things, by the way Jim
dosent know me personally, might know of me.

Is the property fenced? Gated? Can it be secured with a new lock? He would probably get the message if he couldn't get in!

No it's wide-open and adjoines another property that he bales.

So you want the hay, and get paid for baling free hay for yourself as well?

To me that sounds as bad as 'Jim'........

Otherwise, you might be walking into the middle of something, but you aren't wrong taking care of the property the owners ask you to do.

Paul

What place Jay?
Kind of curious...

Next to Valero gas station on rt 20, I don't want to post the name of it.

By the way Steve, have you heard anything about Highcliff? I saw someone baling the pastures this summer, what a mess they let the place fall into. Boy that's sad.

Tell them to have you plough the feild and replant it . Nothing for him to bale , and he is out .

(quoted from post at 21:35:37 12/08/15) Next to Valero gas station on rt 20, I don't want to post the name of it.

Click to expand...

That's nice ground. I have gassed up there a few times.

As you know the guy that's doing the baling, I'd recommend you contact him and tell him that you have been asked to mow and bale and see where it goes from there. There is no sense in you getting mixed up in someone else's fight. Report the response back to the land owner and let them take care of it.

In Iowa, I believe on any farm/agricultural land written notice must be given the current cropper in September if it is not going to be his to farm the next year. I could be a little wrong on the specifics, this law covers pasture land as well. The idea is to protect the renter?? from being dumped with no notice and losing what they were counting on for their operation. IaGary or JD Seller might add to this as they would know much better than I the law. So even tho the property has changed hands, the current cropper could have rights to mow and bale for another season. gobble

That's wasI was wondering about...
I have noticed a couple new people in the area...
the guy who came in and baled highcliff did rounds and big squares...my dad said he saw him do a few places down 20...
there is also a guy who has been running 100's of silage rounds by truck and trailer and with a case IH and a bale wagon from that direction past my house.

My dad said there is also someone who did big squares east of duanesburg in a couple of spots...

All I know for highcliff is that they sold for much less than asking to some guy out of state...

like you said...sad...

if i had more time, money and I was better looking I would have loved to have bought that and converted to a large boarding facility/Bed and Breakfast to service the downstate horsey crowd...


Also...property next to me is going to go up for sale soon...
180 acres, newer but in bad need of a rehab house with a nice morton building...might go cheap if you know anyone looking.

He has to have either a written or oral agreement. He obviously has neither with the NEW owners of the land. Get something in writing from the current owners and go bale it.